TVNZ 7 Demise Ends Immediate Hope for Public Service TV

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
07 April 2011

TVNZ 7 Demise Ends Immediate Hope for Public Service TV

The industry organisation representing independent screen producers, SPADA, says that the Government’s confirmation there will no further funding for TVNZ 7 from next year will have an impact on the independent screen production industry.

“This is also a real blow for hopes for public service television featuring intelligent local content and coverage of issues that matter to New Zealanders,” said SPADA Chief Executive Penelope Borland. It’s also going to be a loss for New Zealand’s television industry. “Many of our members make excellent, informative programming for TVNZ7 and now the future of those programmes and those who make them is uncertain to say the least.”

“SPADA strongly supports New Zealand On Air and its contestable funding for the creation of new local content but, contrary to what the Government seems to be thinking, it does matter that New Zealand is now going to be the only country in the OECD to have no baseline public broadcasting channel or home,” said Ms Borland.

“While people may be becoming more platform agnostic, the funding and creation of intelligent, informed local content, commentary and current affairs, the likes of which we see on TVNZ 7 is at risk. New Zealanders may not see this type of programming at all if it isn’t commissioned by a public service channel in the first place. The danger is that such programming is not going to made or seen on any platform by New Zealanders and people deserve better than this,” said Ms Borland.

“All New Zealanders understand we are in times of fiscal restraint and that the Government has some tough choices to make. A boost to public broadcasting funding or directing money away from programmes into infrastructure may not have been options the Government was prepared to choose right now.

“Nevertheless to let TVNZ 7 depart from our broadcasting landscape in June next year is very disappointing for the screen industry and for our cultural integrity, with national television in New Zealand becoming nearly purely commercial, with exception of Maori Television Service,” said Ms Borland.

“From an investment perspective this is yet another chapter in our history of short term thinking on public goods with TVNZ having received $79 million from the Government in 2006 for the digital channels TVNZ 7 and TVNZ 6, which has since been turned into a commercial youth channel,” said Ms Borland.

This year being election year, public service broadcasting and the creation of new local content was going to be a major issue for the New Zealand screen industry, said SPADA.

ENDS

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